Talking points from my LTEN webinar on organizational learning

Yesterday, I spoke on a webinar organised by Life Sciences Trainers & Educators Network (LTEN) , a US based organization for educators and trainers in life sciences.

In the webinar, I gave an overview of my forthcoming book on organizational learning and some of the big themes that the book is trying to address. There were three or four points that seemed to strike a chord with the group that I wanted to share here.

First, I talked about my seven principles of organizational learning, and people really liked them and the idea, which is fundamental to the book, of linking something that is learning related to the bigger picture of the quality of work life. A lot of people commented on how important it was to keep that bigger picture in mind, and to focus on what the organization is like, not just what learning is like in the organization. My point is that these things are linked. The better the organization, the more connected the people and the higher the commitment to deep learning.

The second discussion point that resonated with the audience was my model of the dimensions of organizational learning, which shows that building spaces, connecting people, connecting ideas, testing and measuring, and so on, are very important. But the linkage with the outside world, that connectivity and alignment, is also fundamental. And people agreed with that.

However, you can have the best organizational model or model for L&D that isn't aligned with the organizational strategy. And you can have an organizational strategy that isn't aligned with a changing market or the external environment. These misalignments are usually catastrophic in the medium term. I was surprised at how the alignment question resonated.

The third area of discussion, which appeared to be heavily endorsed, was around the zone of proximal development and the idea that what you can do on your own will always be limited compared to what you can do with others. Attendees liked the idea of creating a more collective learning environment, which is efficient itself, but also generates shared insights, with some saying that they need to spend more time on addressing organizational learning.

Finally, the idea of fieldwork also struck a chord. Why? Because you've got to understand the organization. You can't do that sitting in an office being told what the problems are, you have to be proactive:? walk around and see for yourself and talk to people. It is very important to understand what’s working for them and what isn’t.